Shared Topic: Top 5 Mounts

This weeks shared topic from Blog Azeroth is on our favorite (and least favorite) mounts. The original topic post, brought to you by Azerothian Life, can be found here.

For my favorites, I decided on a pair of ground mounts and a trio of fliers. Given the diversity of flying limited areas, grounders definitely have their place. First: The Rusted Proto Drake. Now, I’m a fan of proto drakes in general, but this one has a special place for me. I was 2 achievements away (the Ulduar meta achievement) from getting this drake back in 2009. I wasn’t able to get a group to finish, though I admittedly gave up for a while), until 2013. I sat so close for 4 years. Finally getting it makes it pretty special to me.

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The Valor Dance: Dailies, Reputation, Upgrades, Trouble

Mists of Pandaria has brought us a bit of a roller coaster when it comes to our valor points and how we acquire and speed them. In Cataclysm, there were very few changes (just the move from 1 dungeon per day awarding valor to 7 per week) and we essentially just did a few heroic dungeons, killed a few raid bosses, and spent our points when we had enough. In MoP, however, the valor gear was gated behind reputation which was gated behind dailies. Valor being unspendable before doing enough dailies has been much lamented by the player base. Of course, since launch, each patch has brought a new curve ball in terms of valor. Continue to see the different valor changes so far, the problems with those changes, and what’s coming up in patch 5.3!

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Weekend Update: I Hate the Farson Prisoner

On the Island of Tol Barad, I’m repeatedly given a quest to rescue a prisoner from Farson Hold and escort it to safety. This druid is clearly the dumbest NPC to ever exist. It’s really no surprise that he keeps getting caught. Every couple of days I’m again asked by the area commander to go rescue him and how does he repay me – by being the most clueless druid ever to live. This bear druid (whose health doesn’t increase in bear form) was clearly carried by a more skill raid group to get all of his gear. He has roughly 190k health at level 85, non elite. This means he is decked out in (very ugly) high-end raiding gear with stamina trinkets, enchants, and gems. Seeing someone so geared, I want to think “this guy must be ‘pro'” and “clearly him getting caught was a fluke”. If I thought that though, I’d be horribly wrong. After bringing him out of the dungeon, the Farson Hold Prisoner pauses in front of the exit, the path to freedom clearly visible, then heads back inside the keep, going not one but two obviously wrong directions. Sometimes, it seems like he really has the fire in him to escape. He runs straight outside (missing his normal RP points) and then does one of two things: He comes back! OR He gets on a horse and leaves, failing to mention to the commander I helped him out. I save him and most of the time he slights me the opportunity to get some brownie points with Hellscream’s troops. Honestly, I think drugs are involved. Someone needs to give this guy an intervention and maybe he’d stop getting caught so often.

Rewards

You will receive: 25 94

Gains

Upon completion of this quest you will gain:

Check out my Faction Guide to see the epic loot you can pick up for these factions.

Daily Thoughts: Good News About Dailies

A post over at WoW Insider regarding  Blizzard’s Lead World Designer Alex Afrasiabi’s interview on G4 has informed me that A future content patch will see Hyjal fully healed, and new daily quests”. Check out the other details and find a link to the full interview HERE. Two weeks ago I’d be pretty excited about this, but my main already has exalted here through the dungeon grind. At least alts will be able to pick up the leveling blues and entry-level epics easier.

Other good news in regards to reputation grinds is the addition of a repeatable reputation gaining quest for the Ramkahen in Uldum. We now have quest Fire From the Sky that grants 250 rep and some gold upon completion. This joins Thieving Little Pluckers which I believe only grants 150 reputation.

For information about all the cataclysm factions, their reputation dailies, and loot, check out my Cataclysm Faction Reputation Guide.

See you tomorrow! Probably.

Cataclysm Faction Reputation Guide

I’ve prepared a pretty inclusive list of all the cataclysm factions, links to their loot lists on wowhead, and if they have tabards, dailies, etc. Also past the cut is a list of each factions epic loot available. Continue below to see the list including Baradin’s Wardens, Dragonmaw Clan, Guardians of Hyjal, Hellscream’s Reach, Ramkahen, The Earthen Ring, Therazane and Wildhammer Clan.

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Weekend Update: No Dailies in Hyjal

* EDIT – I’ve made a comprehensive faction guide – check it out HERE. *

Naturally the one new cataclysm reputation I really want to grind for the Belt of the Ferocious Wolf, has no dailies. So, for all those who’ve been searching for the location of the Guardians of Hyjal dailies, they don’t exist. The only way to get your rep there after you finish the quests in the zone is to do dungeons with their tabard that you can pick up at friendly. You should be revered by the time you finish the zone, so it isn’t too far to go. Next I’ll probably be after Ramkahen rep for a few things.

Wowhead of course has a nice list of the factions stuff here.

Tomorrow or the next day I should have my impressions of Uldum up here, so check back!